Harvest International

Written by Cheri Feyrer.

       When I think about writing, it might be obvious to think about reading, or reading writing. This is likely where my love for writing surfaced; reading things written by others, even from completely different time periods, that helped me realize we are not as alone in the course of life as we think we are. A complete stranger, someone who is maybe already long-since deceased, someone with completely different experiences, yet it is almost as though they are speaking directly to you. Everything you have ever experienced, whether internal or external, has likely been written about, and once you find it, you better understand how the magic of writing is not only in the actual content, but in its ability to serve as a place of solace for our very solitary minds. This ability to connect us to others, the ability to expand on our very human-ness (if you will), is what I believe life is for, and why I think writing is such an important thing to partake in.  

       I entered college with the notion I would earn my degree under, quite literally, any STEM-related major. I always had, and still have, if we are being honest, a passion for all things to do with space. I watch a rocket launch and all of a sudden I understand why people cry at beautiful things. I think the very fact that our creation has placed us in the middle of this vast, still, dark universe proves that our very existence is extremely special, something which should be paid reverence to. The fact that we are thinking, feeling creatures, infinitesimally small in the scope of things (pun intended) is something which is easy to take for granted. However, I realized later that STEM isn’t as glamorous as I had imagined it to be; chemistry and labs especially made me feel like I was punishing myself for being alive, despite how much I loved physics and astronomy. I only recently accepted that this wasn’t for me, and switched to English Literary Studies; it was incredibly freeing choosing something that I enjoyed. On top of that, I still felt I was doing something important, even if that meant enriching existence here on Earth. 

       For me, writing is so enriching because of the very human habit of writing about heavy things, and making them beautiful; grief, sorrow, joy, love, and the ordinary are all made equally exquisite within writing. Words by writers like Mary Oliver (my personal favorite) and musicians like Simon and Garfunkel are what helped me realize a passion for storytelling and creating art out of experiences, good and bad. Our stories are life giving, and help us remember what a bizarre thing it is to experience existence. “Preserve your memories, they’re all that’s left you.”